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sga_santaTitle: A Series of Unfortunate Events
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jeyla4ever
Pairing: Emmagan/Sheppard
Recipient:agriope23
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Spoilers for All of Season 4
Summary: Replaying her words in his head was enough to make any man lose his sanity.
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Chapter 1
He cringed, squeezing the can of beer in his hands. Replaying her words in his head was enough to make any man lose his sanity. John didn't want that memory, not now. It haunted him.
But the memory forced itself anyway ; crashing his thoughts, shadowing his steps, torturing his reasoning, crushing his inner strength.
Tightly, he closed his eyes, willing his mind to erase the conversation, to vanish everything into thin air and for everything to be as it once was, before her statement, before her confession, before her lies, and her open betrayal.
She was pregnant.
Standing on the edge of the city, awfully close to the water's edge, John stood still against the sound of the waves splashing violently at the city's borders. He'd have to face her eventually, and realize the truth.
She belonged to another man.
Nothing seemed too matter now. Everything was lost. He was lost. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness and darkness streamed down his entire being. In this cold night air, John Sheppard silently wished he had never come to Atlantis. Maybe he should just pack up and…
"Sheppard," he recognized that loud hoarse voice.
The dreadlock friend stood by his side for a long time before he spoke again.
"She waited for you."
Taking a sip of his beer, John pondered on his words.
"Yeah, I can see that she did."
Slowly, he felt Ronon back away from the edge, but not before his strong hands gripped John's shoulder in a tight squeeze. Was he feeling sorry for him, remorse or just plain angry with him ?
Who knows and who cares. Not John, not now, and at that moment, not ever.
She was carrying another man's child. She was pregnant. And there was nothing he could do to change that; Nothing.
Emptying the last contents in his can of beer, he wrangled and wrestled with his inner self. Stepping back away from the edge, a sigh of relief stirred his nerves , bringing a peace of mind to his shattered soul.
She's here, still with you, even if her heart belongs to someone else. And Ronon had just confessed what he couldn't do himself; she had waited for him.
This was his loss, and his fault. Realization hit like a fast train, with John reveling on the idea that she had wanted him just as much as he had wanted her. Now, his chance was gone and the only peace of mind that carried him through this was the fact that regardless of her sudden revelation, John would always be there for her.
If that meant finding the father of her unborn child, then he'd swallow his pride and do just that because in the end, when it all came down to the truth, she was…well, she was a member of his team and… he loved her. Hell, yeah! Why deny it, now?
He loved her.
When he first met her, he knew that he'd do anything for her. Whatever had to be done to make her happy, protect her at all cost, and let her live the life that she deserved was all he ever wanted for her.
Did that mean that he'd freely let her go to fight on her own to rescue her people and reunite with her lost lover? Hell, no! Not even he could stop himself from letting her go. He'd be damned if he 'd stand by and allow her to risk her life, not if he had anything to do or say about it.
The truth is that he could never let her go. Not ever!
He may have lost any chance of being more than just a friend to her, but this was not your ordinary woman. This was his friend, a valuable member of his team, this was Teyla; the only woman he would ever truly love.
Chapter 2
"You cannot decline my request, John!" she protested.
"Oh, really cause if my memory serves me correctly, I just did!" his voice up a notch.
She tugged his arm in place as he stood, "I am the only one that can safely enter that planet without being detected."
He pulled from her grasp a bit forcefully. "No, Teyla!"
He stormed out of the briefing room with her right on his heels.
"My people are out there, Colonel. And whether you want to accept it or not, I owe it to my people," she breathed heavily and raised her voice, "It is my duty!"
He turned around quickly, his face mere inches from hers.
"I am not going to risk your life at the expense of finding your people. Once we have all the information we need, I will bring them back to you! That's final!"
He felt her rage as she moved even closer to him, her hands balling into fist at her sides.
"My abilities are not faltered due to my condition, John!"
He stepped back, needing the space between them. A storm was building inside him and not even her presence was going to calm him. Hell, lately she was the reason for his uncontrollable anger.
"You don't say! So what was it that you were doing the other night when Ronon had to lift your sorry ass off the couch because you couldn't stand up straight on your own?"
He didn't have to be a medical officer to know that her blood pressure was rising and rising very quickly.
"Long before you ever came to the Pegasus Galaxy, my people had to live with the threat of the Wraith. Women, men and children are trained to fight against all odds regardless of their physical condition."
It was so evident that she was trying very hard not to scream in his face, and it only fueled John even more that she didn't understand why he simply couldn't let her go.
"If that means that a woman with child had to confront a Wraith in order to save any one of her people, it was expected," her anger clearly showing in her face, "Many lived to tell of their struggle. I will be no exception to the rule simply because you cannot accept to see me bearing a child!"
She stepped even closer, challenging him. Had she no idea of what she was doing to him? It only aroused John in so many levels that even near her due date, the fire within her never died.
It was one of the many things he loved about her. It almost made him laugh at her ridiculous request, but he knew that wouldn't have been the wisest choice. Even in her state, Teyla could still whip his ass , and she had often done so throughout the recent months.
Staring intently at her features, John could see the dark circles around her eyes, sensed her trembling body, felt the anguish and turmoil boiling at the edge of her skin.
But what she asked was impossible. He could never risk her life. Not even if she begged him.
"I don't really care what your people expect from you, let alone a pregnant woman! Hell, if you tell me that Rodney invented a shield that would protect you no matter what came your way, I'd STILL be against it!"
He stepped closer to her, his eyes bored into her soul, his rage on the verge of explosion.
Yet, his arms only inches away from her grasp, yearning to hold, protect and love her.
But he was too late. There's no room for that, now!
And yet, how can he assure her that for as long as he lived, he would do anything to make everything right for her?
The only thing he had left was to shield her with all his might. And if that meant going against her wishes, so be it!
"You can huff and puff and yell at me all you want, but you are NOT LEAVING THIS CITY!"
And without another word, he turned and walked away, not once looking back.
Chapter 3
"John, we need Teyla. Her insight is invaluable to the success of this mission. We are going to take all precautions to make sure she's safe."
"Sam, you can't possibly be having this conversation with me right now because I'm not going to stand here and listen to you suggest that I let a seven month pregnant woman come on a dangerous mission!"
John had had enough! Not only did he already have this conversation with Teyla, now he was arguing with his superior officer, and he couldn't believe that Rodney and Ronon didn't seem convinced that he was right.
"I have everything set up so that Teyla will stay in the puddle jumper. Once we have the ZPM in place, we should be able to activate the shields and everything..."
Furiously, he glanced back at Rodney, who stopped dead on his words, frozen by his deathly stare.
His eyes bore no mercy upon the one whom he considered his friend, but what Rodney was suggesting was simply not going to happen.
"I'm going to ignore you just mentioned that and blame it on the fact that you haven't slept for the past three days, Rodney!"
From behind him, a big-throaty voiced interjected his next words.
"Sheppard, we have no choice! Even if we keep Teyla here, she won't be safe. The Replicators are coming and not Teyla or anyone else in this galaxy is safe from that threat. We need that ZPM , and we can only get it with Teyla guiding us."
"I think that's the longest sentence you've ever spoken since I've met you, Ronon!" he stared at him in complete disbelief. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his team would risk Teyla to save their sorry asses!
He looked around the room. There were all there; Ronon, Rodney, Sam, Lorne, Keller and Teyla.
His eyes met hers last. They had already had this conversation, the only difference being that this mission was regarding an inside tip about the whereabouts of a hidden ZPM.
But this time she went above him and went straight to Sam. Somehow, she had managed to convinced them that she was the only one that could guide them through the Wraith-infested planet that housed the only ZPM in the area without so much as a couple of Wraiths guarding the gate.
Their intel had come straight from a Genii ally and their findings were confirmed once they had sent the malp through by means of a different stargate so as not to give away their position.
Scans indicated the onslaught massacre of Replicators ships were on their way to Atlantis, and they didn't have enough power to raise the shield and fire drones to stand against the unstoppable wrath.
He glanced around the room once again. The beautiful pane windows reflected the sunset in the distance, and the rays of light shone directly behind Teyla's silhouette , framing the contour of her face with an ethereal light.
If anything happened to her…
"Nothing will happen to me, Colonel. I will be completely out of harm's way." She was pleading, and Teyla never begged.
Grasping for any distraction and fearing the worst, John was about to deny again her plea when Sam stood from her commanding chair.
"If no one else has any other suggestions, these are my orders. Teyla will be accompanying you on this mission, strictly as a guide. She will remain inside the Puddle Jumper and render the team's safety by blocking out their presence so as not to be detected by the Wraith. Is that understood?"
He could have challenged her order. But that would have only caused her to stand him down leaving him completely inaccessible to protect Teyla and his team. He had no choice but to go along with it.
John glanced back at Teyla. The perfect silence all around the room foretold of something very bad about to happen. The tightness in his chest returned with an unbearable pain. And never before in John's life had he ever been so scared to death.
He took one last glance at his team, and for the second time that week, an infuriated John stormed out of the briefing room.
Chapter 4
"This is madness!" whined Rodney in the background while John held Teyla in his arms.
"Sheppard!" Ronon ran in front of John, shielding him and Teyla with his body as more Wraith appeared right in front of them.
Ronon fired without missing a shot. John ran as fast as he could with an unconscious Teyla in his arms.
"How did she get out of the Puddle Jumper? I specifically coded the controls not to open unless one of us scanned the panel!" gasped Rodney desperately trying to catch up to John.
John ignored both of them. He knew that this was a bad idea. Teyla completely disobeyed his orders just as he expected and soon they found her fighting like a raging lunatic with her full size belly swinging her sticks against two Wraiths.
Apparently, she was concerned that they hadn't made it back in time and had gone out to find them. Right! As if they ever made any of their missions back on time.
But nevertheless, it was her excuse for disobeying his orders to stay in the Puddle Jumper. Luckily John had found her just in time before a Wraith fed on her.
Needless to say, in the short amount of time between rescuing her and the wraith finding them again, John had managed to have another heated argument with her in a matter of seconds while waiting for their impending doom.
They ran for dear life, but were ambushed by four Wraiths leaving them with no other option but to fight.
As much as the three of them tried to keep Teyla out of harm's way, it was simply inconceivable.
A Wraith stunner aimed at John was blocked by her body without as much as a hint of remorse from her part. Luckily, he was able to catch her fall just in time as her body succumbed unconsciously in his arms.
John was terrified. Holding her limp body in one arm, he went on a rapid shooting rage. In a matter of seconds, he had cleared the path for them to run out of the dungeon with a fully functional ZPM and a stunned Teyla cradled in his arms.
He kept telling himself that in just a couple of minutes they would safely reach the cloaked puddle jumper. They would get to Atlantis , and Teyla and her unborn baby would be all right. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the more he thought of it, the less he was convinced.
As they neared the secluded area where the puddle jumper was secretly stationed, John felt as if something was wrong, very wrong. He looked to his right , and he could have sworn that Ronon had turned ghostly white.
"What's wrong?" John whispered.
"We better move fast. I don't like the look and smell of this place." Ronon stared at the nothingness in front of them.
Beyond the darkness, John could see a shadow. It was hidden behind some sort of obstruction. Slowly, John neared the direction of the puddle jumper. Ronon put his hand on his shoulde r, startling him.
"Sheppard, I can carry her now." He suggested to John as his hands extended towards Teyla's body.
At first, John hesitated. After all, why should he trust him when he and Rodney had both conceded with Sam to allow Teyla to come on this mission? If they had listened to him in the first place, none of this would be happening, at least not the part where they had to carry a very pregnant and heavy Teyla.
But suddenly, he felt that the weight of her body was slowing them down. He knew that Ronon would be the only one to hold her safely while he took care of whatever lay ahead.
Staring at her motionless body, reluctantly, John handed Teyla to Ronon.
"I'm not picking up any life signs." Rodney warned.
Moving with great caution, the three of them stepped closer to the puddle jumper, but also nearing the shadow now growing closer and closer to them.
To their horror, they soon came face to face with a grave sight. Just beyond the Puddle jumper stood a large mound. As they approached, they realized what the heap of mountain contained; bodies. Tons and tons of bodies all piled up in a mountainous terrain next to a large boulder.
John's stomach hurled. And he heard Rodney puke in the background. Ronon's breath drew in quicker, and John was grateful that Teyla was completely knocked out.
For upon closer inspection, the pile of bodies toppled one on top of the other belonged to none other but to her people; John had found the missing Athosians.
Chapter 5
He woke in sweat. He opened his eyes and there was nothing to see but darkness. There was no moon out tonight and the stars… there were none.
Slowly, he got up from his bed. Nowadays, sleep didn't come easy for him. Still, Keller had ordered some sleeping pills, but they only made him restless, not sleepy.
Sitting up slowly, he groaned. Moving his legs to get some circulation running back on his extremities was more painful than he cared to admit. Teyla was heavy , and his muscles at the time didn't complain, but now, every part of his body screamed painfully.
A noise caught his attention. He thought he heard movement nearby. Judging it to be someone outside walking about in the halls, he got up and dressed.
His eyes adjusted to the dim lights in the hallways. He moved about slowly as if there was really no purpose and no joy in even the slightest of movement.
There was hardly anyone about at this time of the night and those that he did encounter, he simply nodded and went about his way.
He wandered about the city for a while without any idea of where he was headed until suddenly he found himself standing in front of the doors that opened to a balcony on the Far East pier of the city.
As the doors opened, fear coursed through his mind. There was the sense of a presence nearby; the one indistinguishable shadow that was the cause of his turmoil every night.
Adrenaline rushed through his body, pumping and spreading rapidly, burning all his senses. Yet, upon her silhouette one thing was clear in his mind; he missed her.
He missed Teyla. He hated himself for the way he was treating her lately, but more importantly, he missed her.
Her laughter, her teasing, everything about her was gone, lost. And the thought that he had something to do with it was killing him inside.
His back prickled and his skin began to sweat. He needed to make things right, no matter what, for his sake and for her.
He moved closer, until his arm brushed against hers, both staring at the darkness in front of them, with only the dim lights on the balcony reflecting bits of rays upon the turbulent waters.
They stood next to each other silently for a very long time.
"I need you to understand something," her voice barely a whisper.
"Teyla." He couldn't believe he was able to even speak.
"The ways of my people are…different." She turned to face him.
"You don't owe me an explanation." Yet, he so desperately wanted one.
"Since the day I met you back in Athos, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of your life, a part of your world." Her voice was soothing almost engulfing the darkness all around them.
"And you are. That will never change." He turned, facing her.
"Yet, you have repeatedly concealed much of you from me." She lowered her head. His heart crushed to pieces.
"Teyla, I'm not very good at…this."
Carefully, his fingers gently touched her chin and slowly he lifted her head as their eyes met. She felt so good and bright and warm beneath his fingers. Atlantis could have been under attack at that moment, and he still wouldn't have moved from that spot.
He leaned closer, her breath caressing his face in a soft embrace as tears strolled down her face.
Staring in awe at her beauty, John couldn't believe how foolish he had been.
He leaned further, and their foreheads kissed.
"Teyla, I guess… I always figured you'd be able to see right through me," he breathed deeply, "I've always loved you."
Slowly, he parted foreheads and tenderly kissed her forehead. Delicately, his lips roamed down to the tip of her nose in soft butterfly kisses, until he stopped. Hopelessly-daringly- senselessly-his lips lingered above her lips.
He sensed her shaky breath fan his lips. Yet, boldly she stepped back.
A cold tempest spiraled throughout his body as darkness loomed all around him.
"My life and my devotion belong to Kanan." Her words were spoken determinedly, but her eyes shone her sorrow.
His lips pursued, his vision blurred, and he balled his fists.
She stepped closer, once again. The veering wind swept her hair away, fitting her body perfectly against John who instinctively embraced her, encompassing her waist with his loving touch.
And all his anger vanquished.
John knew that moment would be imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life.
Slowly, her hand caressed his face, and a knot caught his throat. But he stood there, unashamed at the intimacy of the moment.
Finally, he surrendered mercilessly and closed his eyes, "Teyla."
Her soft warm breath whispered in his ear, "But my heart and my soul will always belong to you, John Sheppard."
And then, she was gone.
Chapter 6
"Colonel Sheppard, I am ordering you to stand down!" Sam ordered.
"Sorry, Sam. This mission was never discussed in our briefing. So, technically, I'm taking a personal leave."
"You cannot possibly believe that you stand a chance against whatever is out there on your own, John."
"I'll take those chances."
"John, how can you possibly believe that you can save her all on your own?"
"I don't. But I'm not coming back without her."
The scene unfolding in the city was daunting. Fighting for the ones that they cared for the most, the expedition team struggled to decide which of the two respected leaders they should follow when in reality they all wanted what was best for both John and Teyla.
Hovering in front of the Stargate waiting for the gate to activate to life, John sat inside the Puddle Jumper, over-riding the codes. He could see Sam standing in the balcony beckoning him to reconsider this suicide mission. Behind her, he saw a glimpse of Rodney sitting in the control room next to the dialing sequence device with Ronon pacing behind him. A team of guards pointed their weapons at the puddle jumper ready to fire upon Sam's orders. Major Lorne stood motionless, a magnetic field emitter held tightly in his hands.
Yet, all John could think of was that the person responsible for causing all of this chaos was nowhere in sight and in harms 'way.
Earlier that week Teyla requested a briefing where she claimed that Kanan was trying to communicate through her dreams. She feared that somehow Michael was involved in the disappearance of her people , and she wanted access to gate travel to investigate more on the possible whereabouts of Michael.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Against John's will, Teyla had managed to read the mission report stating the detailed information of the ten Athosians found dead while they were on their mission.
Dangerously, she had charged into John's quarters in the middle of the night demanding details and an explanation for his betrayal. Teyla had gone into a rage which caused her early labor contractions. He ran with her in his arms as she fought the pain and anger within. Keller had to immediately sedate her in order to calm her down.
John knew that Teyla was capable of anything due to her increasing urge to find the one responsible for her people's death. He placed her on a 24 hour watch.
When it wasn't Ronon, it was Lorne, Rodney and even Keller. Teyla wouldn't allow him to come any where near her and so John had to use other means to watch over her, like the city's sensors and hidden cameras.
She lay in the infirmary that night. John went to see her but all it did was caused her to get upset, leaving Keller with no other choice but to ask him to leave.
He was tired and exhausted from all the bickering and fighting. He couldn't understand why Teyla was so determined to hate him when all he was trying to do was to protect her.
And that's when all hell went loose.
Teyla had secretly left in the middle of the night. Convincing Keller that she would be best in her own quarters, in reality she had managed to knock out the guards and tied up the night gate controller to activate the stargate and leave Atlantis without a trace.
John had cursed himself for he knew all that time spent with Rodney would eventually lead up to no good. For all intent and purposes, Teyla had managed to block out her last gate address so no one was able to track down her location.
Luckily, a genii spy transmitted new information making the team aware that Teyla was using him to gather some intel on the whereabouts of Michael.
And the whereabouts of Michael they knew.
But Sam wanted everything done by the book, and John had no time to look at any books let alone discuss the matter in a civilized manner.
He didn't feel he could trust Ronon or Rodney, and frankly, he needed to do this on his own. This was again, his fault. She was his responsibility and no one else's. At least that's what he told himself every night , even if Teyla didn't see it that way.
And so, hijacking a puddle jumper may not be the best report on his record, but the last time he did this was almost five years ago, so he was right on track.
"Rodney, don't let him break that code!" Sam declared.
John glanced back at his companions. He watched them communicate in silence; the swiftness of those seconds raping his mind wildly. Rodney was looking at Ronon who slightly nodded back at Rodney who then glanced back at Sam. John watched expectantly.
Ronon's stunner met Sam's head. Lorne watched in disbelief while all weapons instantly aimed at Ronon. John raised his eyebrow in confusion until he heard the gate activate to life. Quickly, he swiveled back staring quickly at Rodney and lastly his eyes met Ronon's stare.
"Bring her back home in one piece."
And without further delay, he headed off into the event horizon at full speed ahead.
Chapter 7
He realized that he was completely exposed when he heard a buzzing sound whisk by him in the dark. At first he thought it was a mosquito or the alien's version of it anyways, but when he followed its tracks, he soon realized that this was not a real life insect, but a man-made tracking device.
He stepped into the shadows and headed for the abandoned buildings in front of him. He moved swiftly through the dirt road aware of his spectator nearby. Walking blindly in an unknown territory, he knew that if he ran, he was a clear target. If he shot his weapon, he would give away his position too soon. So, he picked up a small rock and threw it in the darkness and soon it had the desire effect.
The magnanimous bug was the exact replica of the one he and the team had encounter on the inferno planet where he had last seen Michael. Yeah, he hated those sons of bitches!
He lifted his weapon but he didn't fire.
"Where are you, buddy?"
He could smell the stench of burnt hair where death consumed the air. Faultlessly, he ran for cover as the sound of roaring hell drummed his ears.
"Damn, you make an awful loud noise."
It came out of nowhere and flung him to the other side of the road, near the buildings. Running towards him savagely, John limped to his feet , seeing his P-90 on the other side of where he stood.
The beast attacked him again . This time he lunged his body against a bunch of metal beams and thought he'd never get back on his feet.
The beast approached and cunningly grabbed his feet, dragging John all across the graveled road punitively. Quickly, John glanced at his P-90 not too far from where the beast was heading; if he could only reach it.
"Hey buddy, could you move me a bit to the left?"
Well, that didn't go as planned.
The creature flung John once again, this time landing him in a pile of rotten and broken particles. Aching all over, bleeding from head to toe, John felt his surrounding in hopes of finding something to attack the creature.
And soon the creature was back on his track, latching on to John's neck, choking him to death.
Frantically, John reached for anything nearby. He felt something round and hard, grabbed it with whatever strength he had left in him and pounded it against the monstrous head.
It had the right effect.
Clumsily, the creature stumbled back, releasing his grip on John's neck. John took this opportunity to headlock with the beast's forehead managing to have it loose its balance , but not before throwing John across the road, banging his head against a solid wall.
"Ah, you brutus!" Painfully, he attempted to move, "Hey, I like that name for you, Brutus!"
His head was clearly pounding and he felt the world spin uncontrollably. His fingers were shot with blood, and he was certain that he had some broken ribs if not all of them.
"Com'on Brutus, is that all you got?"
Wrong choice of words.
A noiseless rock hit him straight on his forehead, knocking him completely for what seemed like forever. He felt Brutus breath up-close…too close. He made no move to bite him or eat him. For that, John was grateful.
So, he thought.
He twisted John's arm behind his back, making him feel like he was jokingly playing a bad game of twister.
He could almost feel Brutus smile at him in approval as John's vocal chords expressed his anguish.
His lips moved to curse but he had no strength left in him. Then he heard a buzzing from behind. His mosquito spectator was back.
"Hey, can we call it a draw?"
The sudden noise distracted Brutus. John could see that not far from him was his P-90. Brutus was clearly annoyed with the buzzing sound as he howled and squealed a most haunting sound of disapproval. Either that or he was singing his victory song, or worse, John thought, he was chanting his mating song.
Blocking to what appeared to be his ears, Brutus let go of John. Swiftly, he ran out of the way and headed straight for his P-90.
Yet, his body didn't have the strength. He dragged himself all the way to the spot only to drop on his knees and hear a faint buzzing in his ear. Was his friend, the spectator behind him? His eyes went to the back of his head and things got complicated for him as his body started to succumb to the calling of the darkness.
And just as he fell forward, his hands out stretched, his knees bent towards the floor, he wondered if Brutus would miss him on his sight.
And then he heard her.
Her screams silenced everything. His body responded to her calling almost instantly. The cries of pain burned in his ears as if the gates of hell had just been pried open.
And he breathed her name, "Teyla!"
But Brutus had other thoughts in mind. The floor trembled from underneath John's feet, and he felt the tremors c ourse through him as it charged him back to life.
He fisted his fingers, raised his head and the sweat of his body steamed all around him. As he waited for Brutus to come nearer, he bent down and took hold of a sharp metal rod with a double pointed edge.
With a shout, he pivoted, initiating Brutus to growl in confusion.
John ran up the mountainous debris all the way with such speed and flight, that no one would have believed it. Way at the top of the pile of debris, he stopped and glanced back at Brutus who was still calculating his actions.
In the distance, once again, the shouts of the one he claimed tormented his soul gave him a newfound strength. And with perfect precision, John aimed, lifted and catapulted the spear straight onto Brutus forehead.
Perfect shot.
Brutus bled right in front of John and soon clashed hard on the graveled floor.
And from the distance, the harrowing cries bellowed from the depths of hell, and John ran straight into its fiery gates.
Part 2
Author:
jeyla4everPairing: Emmagan/Sheppard
Recipient:
agriope23Rating: PG
Spoilers: Spoilers for All of Season 4
Summary: Replaying her words in his head was enough to make any man lose his sanity.
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Chapter 1
He cringed, squeezing the can of beer in his hands. Replaying her words in his head was enough to make any man lose his sanity. John didn't want that memory, not now. It haunted him.
But the memory forced itself anyway ; crashing his thoughts, shadowing his steps, torturing his reasoning, crushing his inner strength.
Tightly, he closed his eyes, willing his mind to erase the conversation, to vanish everything into thin air and for everything to be as it once was, before her statement, before her confession, before her lies, and her open betrayal.
She was pregnant.
Standing on the edge of the city, awfully close to the water's edge, John stood still against the sound of the waves splashing violently at the city's borders. He'd have to face her eventually, and realize the truth.
She belonged to another man.
Nothing seemed too matter now. Everything was lost. He was lost. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness and darkness streamed down his entire being. In this cold night air, John Sheppard silently wished he had never come to Atlantis. Maybe he should just pack up and…
"Sheppard," he recognized that loud hoarse voice.
The dreadlock friend stood by his side for a long time before he spoke again.
"She waited for you."
Taking a sip of his beer, John pondered on his words.
"Yeah, I can see that she did."
Slowly, he felt Ronon back away from the edge, but not before his strong hands gripped John's shoulder in a tight squeeze. Was he feeling sorry for him, remorse or just plain angry with him ?
Who knows and who cares. Not John, not now, and at that moment, not ever.
She was carrying another man's child. She was pregnant. And there was nothing he could do to change that; Nothing.
Emptying the last contents in his can of beer, he wrangled and wrestled with his inner self. Stepping back away from the edge, a sigh of relief stirred his nerves , bringing a peace of mind to his shattered soul.
She's here, still with you, even if her heart belongs to someone else. And Ronon had just confessed what he couldn't do himself; she had waited for him.
This was his loss, and his fault. Realization hit like a fast train, with John reveling on the idea that she had wanted him just as much as he had wanted her. Now, his chance was gone and the only peace of mind that carried him through this was the fact that regardless of her sudden revelation, John would always be there for her.
If that meant finding the father of her unborn child, then he'd swallow his pride and do just that because in the end, when it all came down to the truth, she was…well, she was a member of his team and… he loved her. Hell, yeah! Why deny it, now?
He loved her.
When he first met her, he knew that he'd do anything for her. Whatever had to be done to make her happy, protect her at all cost, and let her live the life that she deserved was all he ever wanted for her.
Did that mean that he'd freely let her go to fight on her own to rescue her people and reunite with her lost lover? Hell, no! Not even he could stop himself from letting her go. He'd be damned if he 'd stand by and allow her to risk her life, not if he had anything to do or say about it.
The truth is that he could never let her go. Not ever!
He may have lost any chance of being more than just a friend to her, but this was not your ordinary woman. This was his friend, a valuable member of his team, this was Teyla; the only woman he would ever truly love.
Chapter 2
"You cannot decline my request, John!" she protested.
"Oh, really cause if my memory serves me correctly, I just did!" his voice up a notch.
She tugged his arm in place as he stood, "I am the only one that can safely enter that planet without being detected."
He pulled from her grasp a bit forcefully. "No, Teyla!"
He stormed out of the briefing room with her right on his heels.
"My people are out there, Colonel. And whether you want to accept it or not, I owe it to my people," she breathed heavily and raised her voice, "It is my duty!"
He turned around quickly, his face mere inches from hers.
"I am not going to risk your life at the expense of finding your people. Once we have all the information we need, I will bring them back to you! That's final!"
He felt her rage as she moved even closer to him, her hands balling into fist at her sides.
"My abilities are not faltered due to my condition, John!"
He stepped back, needing the space between them. A storm was building inside him and not even her presence was going to calm him. Hell, lately she was the reason for his uncontrollable anger.
"You don't say! So what was it that you were doing the other night when Ronon had to lift your sorry ass off the couch because you couldn't stand up straight on your own?"
He didn't have to be a medical officer to know that her blood pressure was rising and rising very quickly.
"Long before you ever came to the Pegasus Galaxy, my people had to live with the threat of the Wraith. Women, men and children are trained to fight against all odds regardless of their physical condition."
It was so evident that she was trying very hard not to scream in his face, and it only fueled John even more that she didn't understand why he simply couldn't let her go.
"If that means that a woman with child had to confront a Wraith in order to save any one of her people, it was expected," her anger clearly showing in her face, "Many lived to tell of their struggle. I will be no exception to the rule simply because you cannot accept to see me bearing a child!"
She stepped even closer, challenging him. Had she no idea of what she was doing to him? It only aroused John in so many levels that even near her due date, the fire within her never died.
It was one of the many things he loved about her. It almost made him laugh at her ridiculous request, but he knew that wouldn't have been the wisest choice. Even in her state, Teyla could still whip his ass , and she had often done so throughout the recent months.
Staring intently at her features, John could see the dark circles around her eyes, sensed her trembling body, felt the anguish and turmoil boiling at the edge of her skin.
But what she asked was impossible. He could never risk her life. Not even if she begged him.
"I don't really care what your people expect from you, let alone a pregnant woman! Hell, if you tell me that Rodney invented a shield that would protect you no matter what came your way, I'd STILL be against it!"
He stepped closer to her, his eyes bored into her soul, his rage on the verge of explosion.
Yet, his arms only inches away from her grasp, yearning to hold, protect and love her.
But he was too late. There's no room for that, now!
And yet, how can he assure her that for as long as he lived, he would do anything to make everything right for her?
The only thing he had left was to shield her with all his might. And if that meant going against her wishes, so be it!
"You can huff and puff and yell at me all you want, but you are NOT LEAVING THIS CITY!"
And without another word, he turned and walked away, not once looking back.
Chapter 3
"John, we need Teyla. Her insight is invaluable to the success of this mission. We are going to take all precautions to make sure she's safe."
"Sam, you can't possibly be having this conversation with me right now because I'm not going to stand here and listen to you suggest that I let a seven month pregnant woman come on a dangerous mission!"
John had had enough! Not only did he already have this conversation with Teyla, now he was arguing with his superior officer, and he couldn't believe that Rodney and Ronon didn't seem convinced that he was right.
"I have everything set up so that Teyla will stay in the puddle jumper. Once we have the ZPM in place, we should be able to activate the shields and everything..."
Furiously, he glanced back at Rodney, who stopped dead on his words, frozen by his deathly stare.
His eyes bore no mercy upon the one whom he considered his friend, but what Rodney was suggesting was simply not going to happen.
"I'm going to ignore you just mentioned that and blame it on the fact that you haven't slept for the past three days, Rodney!"
From behind him, a big-throaty voiced interjected his next words.
"Sheppard, we have no choice! Even if we keep Teyla here, she won't be safe. The Replicators are coming and not Teyla or anyone else in this galaxy is safe from that threat. We need that ZPM , and we can only get it with Teyla guiding us."
"I think that's the longest sentence you've ever spoken since I've met you, Ronon!" he stared at him in complete disbelief. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his team would risk Teyla to save their sorry asses!
He looked around the room. There were all there; Ronon, Rodney, Sam, Lorne, Keller and Teyla.
His eyes met hers last. They had already had this conversation, the only difference being that this mission was regarding an inside tip about the whereabouts of a hidden ZPM.
But this time she went above him and went straight to Sam. Somehow, she had managed to convinced them that she was the only one that could guide them through the Wraith-infested planet that housed the only ZPM in the area without so much as a couple of Wraiths guarding the gate.
Their intel had come straight from a Genii ally and their findings were confirmed once they had sent the malp through by means of a different stargate so as not to give away their position.
Scans indicated the onslaught massacre of Replicators ships were on their way to Atlantis, and they didn't have enough power to raise the shield and fire drones to stand against the unstoppable wrath.
He glanced around the room once again. The beautiful pane windows reflected the sunset in the distance, and the rays of light shone directly behind Teyla's silhouette , framing the contour of her face with an ethereal light.
If anything happened to her…
"Nothing will happen to me, Colonel. I will be completely out of harm's way." She was pleading, and Teyla never begged.
Grasping for any distraction and fearing the worst, John was about to deny again her plea when Sam stood from her commanding chair.
"If no one else has any other suggestions, these are my orders. Teyla will be accompanying you on this mission, strictly as a guide. She will remain inside the Puddle Jumper and render the team's safety by blocking out their presence so as not to be detected by the Wraith. Is that understood?"
He could have challenged her order. But that would have only caused her to stand him down leaving him completely inaccessible to protect Teyla and his team. He had no choice but to go along with it.
John glanced back at Teyla. The perfect silence all around the room foretold of something very bad about to happen. The tightness in his chest returned with an unbearable pain. And never before in John's life had he ever been so scared to death.
He took one last glance at his team, and for the second time that week, an infuriated John stormed out of the briefing room.
Chapter 4
"This is madness!" whined Rodney in the background while John held Teyla in his arms.
"Sheppard!" Ronon ran in front of John, shielding him and Teyla with his body as more Wraith appeared right in front of them.
Ronon fired without missing a shot. John ran as fast as he could with an unconscious Teyla in his arms.
"How did she get out of the Puddle Jumper? I specifically coded the controls not to open unless one of us scanned the panel!" gasped Rodney desperately trying to catch up to John.
John ignored both of them. He knew that this was a bad idea. Teyla completely disobeyed his orders just as he expected and soon they found her fighting like a raging lunatic with her full size belly swinging her sticks against two Wraiths.
Apparently, she was concerned that they hadn't made it back in time and had gone out to find them. Right! As if they ever made any of their missions back on time.
But nevertheless, it was her excuse for disobeying his orders to stay in the Puddle Jumper. Luckily John had found her just in time before a Wraith fed on her.
Needless to say, in the short amount of time between rescuing her and the wraith finding them again, John had managed to have another heated argument with her in a matter of seconds while waiting for their impending doom.
They ran for dear life, but were ambushed by four Wraiths leaving them with no other option but to fight.
As much as the three of them tried to keep Teyla out of harm's way, it was simply inconceivable.
A Wraith stunner aimed at John was blocked by her body without as much as a hint of remorse from her part. Luckily, he was able to catch her fall just in time as her body succumbed unconsciously in his arms.
John was terrified. Holding her limp body in one arm, he went on a rapid shooting rage. In a matter of seconds, he had cleared the path for them to run out of the dungeon with a fully functional ZPM and a stunned Teyla cradled in his arms.
He kept telling himself that in just a couple of minutes they would safely reach the cloaked puddle jumper. They would get to Atlantis , and Teyla and her unborn baby would be all right. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the more he thought of it, the less he was convinced.
As they neared the secluded area where the puddle jumper was secretly stationed, John felt as if something was wrong, very wrong. He looked to his right , and he could have sworn that Ronon had turned ghostly white.
"What's wrong?" John whispered.
"We better move fast. I don't like the look and smell of this place." Ronon stared at the nothingness in front of them.
Beyond the darkness, John could see a shadow. It was hidden behind some sort of obstruction. Slowly, John neared the direction of the puddle jumper. Ronon put his hand on his shoulde r, startling him.
"Sheppard, I can carry her now." He suggested to John as his hands extended towards Teyla's body.
At first, John hesitated. After all, why should he trust him when he and Rodney had both conceded with Sam to allow Teyla to come on this mission? If they had listened to him in the first place, none of this would be happening, at least not the part where they had to carry a very pregnant and heavy Teyla.
But suddenly, he felt that the weight of her body was slowing them down. He knew that Ronon would be the only one to hold her safely while he took care of whatever lay ahead.
Staring at her motionless body, reluctantly, John handed Teyla to Ronon.
"I'm not picking up any life signs." Rodney warned.
Moving with great caution, the three of them stepped closer to the puddle jumper, but also nearing the shadow now growing closer and closer to them.
To their horror, they soon came face to face with a grave sight. Just beyond the Puddle jumper stood a large mound. As they approached, they realized what the heap of mountain contained; bodies. Tons and tons of bodies all piled up in a mountainous terrain next to a large boulder.
John's stomach hurled. And he heard Rodney puke in the background. Ronon's breath drew in quicker, and John was grateful that Teyla was completely knocked out.
For upon closer inspection, the pile of bodies toppled one on top of the other belonged to none other but to her people; John had found the missing Athosians.
Chapter 5
He woke in sweat. He opened his eyes and there was nothing to see but darkness. There was no moon out tonight and the stars… there were none.
Slowly, he got up from his bed. Nowadays, sleep didn't come easy for him. Still, Keller had ordered some sleeping pills, but they only made him restless, not sleepy.
Sitting up slowly, he groaned. Moving his legs to get some circulation running back on his extremities was more painful than he cared to admit. Teyla was heavy , and his muscles at the time didn't complain, but now, every part of his body screamed painfully.
A noise caught his attention. He thought he heard movement nearby. Judging it to be someone outside walking about in the halls, he got up and dressed.
His eyes adjusted to the dim lights in the hallways. He moved about slowly as if there was really no purpose and no joy in even the slightest of movement.
There was hardly anyone about at this time of the night and those that he did encounter, he simply nodded and went about his way.
He wandered about the city for a while without any idea of where he was headed until suddenly he found himself standing in front of the doors that opened to a balcony on the Far East pier of the city.
As the doors opened, fear coursed through his mind. There was the sense of a presence nearby; the one indistinguishable shadow that was the cause of his turmoil every night.
Adrenaline rushed through his body, pumping and spreading rapidly, burning all his senses. Yet, upon her silhouette one thing was clear in his mind; he missed her.
He missed Teyla. He hated himself for the way he was treating her lately, but more importantly, he missed her.
Her laughter, her teasing, everything about her was gone, lost. And the thought that he had something to do with it was killing him inside.
His back prickled and his skin began to sweat. He needed to make things right, no matter what, for his sake and for her.
He moved closer, until his arm brushed against hers, both staring at the darkness in front of them, with only the dim lights on the balcony reflecting bits of rays upon the turbulent waters.
They stood next to each other silently for a very long time.
"I need you to understand something," her voice barely a whisper.
"Teyla." He couldn't believe he was able to even speak.
"The ways of my people are…different." She turned to face him.
"You don't owe me an explanation." Yet, he so desperately wanted one.
"Since the day I met you back in Athos, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of your life, a part of your world." Her voice was soothing almost engulfing the darkness all around them.
"And you are. That will never change." He turned, facing her.
"Yet, you have repeatedly concealed much of you from me." She lowered her head. His heart crushed to pieces.
"Teyla, I'm not very good at…this."
Carefully, his fingers gently touched her chin and slowly he lifted her head as their eyes met. She felt so good and bright and warm beneath his fingers. Atlantis could have been under attack at that moment, and he still wouldn't have moved from that spot.
He leaned closer, her breath caressing his face in a soft embrace as tears strolled down her face.
Staring in awe at her beauty, John couldn't believe how foolish he had been.
He leaned further, and their foreheads kissed.
"Teyla, I guess… I always figured you'd be able to see right through me," he breathed deeply, "I've always loved you."
Slowly, he parted foreheads and tenderly kissed her forehead. Delicately, his lips roamed down to the tip of her nose in soft butterfly kisses, until he stopped. Hopelessly-daringly- senselessly-his lips lingered above her lips.
He sensed her shaky breath fan his lips. Yet, boldly she stepped back.
A cold tempest spiraled throughout his body as darkness loomed all around him.
"My life and my devotion belong to Kanan." Her words were spoken determinedly, but her eyes shone her sorrow.
His lips pursued, his vision blurred, and he balled his fists.
She stepped closer, once again. The veering wind swept her hair away, fitting her body perfectly against John who instinctively embraced her, encompassing her waist with his loving touch.
And all his anger vanquished.
John knew that moment would be imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life.
Slowly, her hand caressed his face, and a knot caught his throat. But he stood there, unashamed at the intimacy of the moment.
Finally, he surrendered mercilessly and closed his eyes, "Teyla."
Her soft warm breath whispered in his ear, "But my heart and my soul will always belong to you, John Sheppard."
And then, she was gone.
Chapter 6
"Colonel Sheppard, I am ordering you to stand down!" Sam ordered.
"Sorry, Sam. This mission was never discussed in our briefing. So, technically, I'm taking a personal leave."
"You cannot possibly believe that you stand a chance against whatever is out there on your own, John."
"I'll take those chances."
"John, how can you possibly believe that you can save her all on your own?"
"I don't. But I'm not coming back without her."
The scene unfolding in the city was daunting. Fighting for the ones that they cared for the most, the expedition team struggled to decide which of the two respected leaders they should follow when in reality they all wanted what was best for both John and Teyla.
Hovering in front of the Stargate waiting for the gate to activate to life, John sat inside the Puddle Jumper, over-riding the codes. He could see Sam standing in the balcony beckoning him to reconsider this suicide mission. Behind her, he saw a glimpse of Rodney sitting in the control room next to the dialing sequence device with Ronon pacing behind him. A team of guards pointed their weapons at the puddle jumper ready to fire upon Sam's orders. Major Lorne stood motionless, a magnetic field emitter held tightly in his hands.
Yet, all John could think of was that the person responsible for causing all of this chaos was nowhere in sight and in harms 'way.
Earlier that week Teyla requested a briefing where she claimed that Kanan was trying to communicate through her dreams. She feared that somehow Michael was involved in the disappearance of her people , and she wanted access to gate travel to investigate more on the possible whereabouts of Michael.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Against John's will, Teyla had managed to read the mission report stating the detailed information of the ten Athosians found dead while they were on their mission.
Dangerously, she had charged into John's quarters in the middle of the night demanding details and an explanation for his betrayal. Teyla had gone into a rage which caused her early labor contractions. He ran with her in his arms as she fought the pain and anger within. Keller had to immediately sedate her in order to calm her down.
John knew that Teyla was capable of anything due to her increasing urge to find the one responsible for her people's death. He placed her on a 24 hour watch.
When it wasn't Ronon, it was Lorne, Rodney and even Keller. Teyla wouldn't allow him to come any where near her and so John had to use other means to watch over her, like the city's sensors and hidden cameras.
She lay in the infirmary that night. John went to see her but all it did was caused her to get upset, leaving Keller with no other choice but to ask him to leave.
He was tired and exhausted from all the bickering and fighting. He couldn't understand why Teyla was so determined to hate him when all he was trying to do was to protect her.
And that's when all hell went loose.
Teyla had secretly left in the middle of the night. Convincing Keller that she would be best in her own quarters, in reality she had managed to knock out the guards and tied up the night gate controller to activate the stargate and leave Atlantis without a trace.
John had cursed himself for he knew all that time spent with Rodney would eventually lead up to no good. For all intent and purposes, Teyla had managed to block out her last gate address so no one was able to track down her location.
Luckily, a genii spy transmitted new information making the team aware that Teyla was using him to gather some intel on the whereabouts of Michael.
And the whereabouts of Michael they knew.
But Sam wanted everything done by the book, and John had no time to look at any books let alone discuss the matter in a civilized manner.
He didn't feel he could trust Ronon or Rodney, and frankly, he needed to do this on his own. This was again, his fault. She was his responsibility and no one else's. At least that's what he told himself every night , even if Teyla didn't see it that way.
And so, hijacking a puddle jumper may not be the best report on his record, but the last time he did this was almost five years ago, so he was right on track.
"Rodney, don't let him break that code!" Sam declared.
John glanced back at his companions. He watched them communicate in silence; the swiftness of those seconds raping his mind wildly. Rodney was looking at Ronon who slightly nodded back at Rodney who then glanced back at Sam. John watched expectantly.
Ronon's stunner met Sam's head. Lorne watched in disbelief while all weapons instantly aimed at Ronon. John raised his eyebrow in confusion until he heard the gate activate to life. Quickly, he swiveled back staring quickly at Rodney and lastly his eyes met Ronon's stare.
"Bring her back home in one piece."
And without further delay, he headed off into the event horizon at full speed ahead.
Chapter 7
He realized that he was completely exposed when he heard a buzzing sound whisk by him in the dark. At first he thought it was a mosquito or the alien's version of it anyways, but when he followed its tracks, he soon realized that this was not a real life insect, but a man-made tracking device.
He stepped into the shadows and headed for the abandoned buildings in front of him. He moved swiftly through the dirt road aware of his spectator nearby. Walking blindly in an unknown territory, he knew that if he ran, he was a clear target. If he shot his weapon, he would give away his position too soon. So, he picked up a small rock and threw it in the darkness and soon it had the desire effect.
The magnanimous bug was the exact replica of the one he and the team had encounter on the inferno planet where he had last seen Michael. Yeah, he hated those sons of bitches!
He lifted his weapon but he didn't fire.
"Where are you, buddy?"
He could smell the stench of burnt hair where death consumed the air. Faultlessly, he ran for cover as the sound of roaring hell drummed his ears.
"Damn, you make an awful loud noise."
It came out of nowhere and flung him to the other side of the road, near the buildings. Running towards him savagely, John limped to his feet , seeing his P-90 on the other side of where he stood.
The beast attacked him again . This time he lunged his body against a bunch of metal beams and thought he'd never get back on his feet.
The beast approached and cunningly grabbed his feet, dragging John all across the graveled road punitively. Quickly, John glanced at his P-90 not too far from where the beast was heading; if he could only reach it.
"Hey buddy, could you move me a bit to the left?"
Well, that didn't go as planned.
The creature flung John once again, this time landing him in a pile of rotten and broken particles. Aching all over, bleeding from head to toe, John felt his surrounding in hopes of finding something to attack the creature.
And soon the creature was back on his track, latching on to John's neck, choking him to death.
Frantically, John reached for anything nearby. He felt something round and hard, grabbed it with whatever strength he had left in him and pounded it against the monstrous head.
It had the right effect.
Clumsily, the creature stumbled back, releasing his grip on John's neck. John took this opportunity to headlock with the beast's forehead managing to have it loose its balance , but not before throwing John across the road, banging his head against a solid wall.
"Ah, you brutus!" Painfully, he attempted to move, "Hey, I like that name for you, Brutus!"
His head was clearly pounding and he felt the world spin uncontrollably. His fingers were shot with blood, and he was certain that he had some broken ribs if not all of them.
"Com'on Brutus, is that all you got?"
Wrong choice of words.
A noiseless rock hit him straight on his forehead, knocking him completely for what seemed like forever. He felt Brutus breath up-close…too close. He made no move to bite him or eat him. For that, John was grateful.
So, he thought.
He twisted John's arm behind his back, making him feel like he was jokingly playing a bad game of twister.
He could almost feel Brutus smile at him in approval as John's vocal chords expressed his anguish.
His lips moved to curse but he had no strength left in him. Then he heard a buzzing from behind. His mosquito spectator was back.
"Hey, can we call it a draw?"
The sudden noise distracted Brutus. John could see that not far from him was his P-90. Brutus was clearly annoyed with the buzzing sound as he howled and squealed a most haunting sound of disapproval. Either that or he was singing his victory song, or worse, John thought, he was chanting his mating song.
Blocking to what appeared to be his ears, Brutus let go of John. Swiftly, he ran out of the way and headed straight for his P-90.
Yet, his body didn't have the strength. He dragged himself all the way to the spot only to drop on his knees and hear a faint buzzing in his ear. Was his friend, the spectator behind him? His eyes went to the back of his head and things got complicated for him as his body started to succumb to the calling of the darkness.
And just as he fell forward, his hands out stretched, his knees bent towards the floor, he wondered if Brutus would miss him on his sight.
And then he heard her.
Her screams silenced everything. His body responded to her calling almost instantly. The cries of pain burned in his ears as if the gates of hell had just been pried open.
And he breathed her name, "Teyla!"
But Brutus had other thoughts in mind. The floor trembled from underneath John's feet, and he felt the tremors c ourse through him as it charged him back to life.
He fisted his fingers, raised his head and the sweat of his body steamed all around him. As he waited for Brutus to come nearer, he bent down and took hold of a sharp metal rod with a double pointed edge.
With a shout, he pivoted, initiating Brutus to growl in confusion.
John ran up the mountainous debris all the way with such speed and flight, that no one would have believed it. Way at the top of the pile of debris, he stopped and glanced back at Brutus who was still calculating his actions.
In the distance, once again, the shouts of the one he claimed tormented his soul gave him a newfound strength. And with perfect precision, John aimed, lifted and catapulted the spear straight onto Brutus forehead.
Perfect shot.
Brutus bled right in front of John and soon clashed hard on the graveled floor.
And from the distance, the harrowing cries bellowed from the depths of hell, and John ran straight into its fiery gates.
Part 2
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